What is schizophrenia? Will the patient behave aggressively? Doctor: Stable control is better at maintaining function
Schizophrenia has become a hot topic in recent years. Is the peak incidence among young adults?
In recent years, with drama programs and health education propaganda, the public’s awareness of mental illness has increased. However, when social incidents of random harm occur, the media can still be seen reporting that the offender claims to be suffering from “schizophrenia,” leading to partial misunderstanding and stigmatization of schizophrenia, and even causing fear among the public. In an exclusive interview with healthorn, Dr. Jiang Huiling from the Department of Psychiatry of Yadong Hospital emphasized that schizophrenia is a brain-related disease. As long as it is stably controlled through medication, the patient’s behavioral performance can be improved.
Dr. Jiang Huiling explained that schizophrenia is related to excessive secretion of “dopamine” in the brain, and related family history is a risk factor for symptoms of schizophrenia. In fact, epidemiological statistics from around the world, including Taiwan, show that the prevalence of schizophrenia accounts for about 1% of the population. However, this group of patients may not be under medical control.
In addition, the environment is also the main factor triggering the occurrence of schizophrenia. If you are in a highly stressful environment for a long time, it is possible that symptoms of schizophrenia will break out. Dr. Jiang Huiling said that the peak age of onset of schizophrenia is from late adolescence, about 15 to 29 years old. However, this disease is a chronic disease, and patients are not limited to teenagers or young adults, but all ages. There are layers.
How to spot the symptoms of a schizophrenia attack? 2 key identifying symptoms
Dr. Jiang Huiling explained that there are two clear-cut main symptoms of schizophrenia. The first is “delusion”, in which patients tend to believe “unreal” things; the second is “hallucinations”, in which patients tend to hear voices that do not exist. , seeing things that don’t exist. Doctors said that because patients are prone to delusions, they may believe that their peers and colleagues are talking about or saying bad things about themselves behind their backs; or they may believe that someone has sneaked into their home, but in fact this has not happened at all.
Dr. Jiang Huiling said that the instrument technology for detecting schizophrenia is still in the research stage, and at this stage, it is mainly assessed through consultation and evaluation. For example, in addition to the assessment of hallucinations and delusions, it may also be observed that patients have difficulty in coherent verbal expressions, often make mistakes when talking to others, and ask questions and answers; in terms of behavior, they may have behaviors that are difficult for others to understand. For example, walking from the office to the tea room, wandering around, and then walking into the toilet aimlessly.
Do all patients with schizophrenia behave violently? Doctor: After treatment, he is no different from ordinary people
Patients with schizophrenia may not be able to distinguish between symptoms and reality, so it is important to improve the awareness of the disease among patients, relatives and friends. Dr. Jiang Huiling emphasized that after diagnosing schizophrenia, in addition to early treatment, it is more important not to stop taking the medication without permission to avoid recurrence of the condition. Once the condition relapses, the dopamine imbalance will become more serious, resulting in less control of the disease. Ideally, it may even cause brain degeneration in patients. It is currently believed that patients with schizophrenia should achieve long-term good control through stable and continuous medication.
In addition, stress can worsen the symptoms of schizophrenia. Patients are advised to maintain a regular schedule, maintain a low-stress lifestyle, and return for regular check-ups and take medication to help improve symptoms. Dr. Jiang Huiling pointed out that patients with schizophrenia who are stably controlled by medication can make good improvements and can also live a stable life. Research data also shows that patients with well-controlled psychosis do not have a higher rate of aggressive behavior than the general population. A small number of social cases have strengthened the violent image of schizophrenia, which may not be consistent with scientific facts.
Occupational therapy and mental rehabilitation go hand in hand to help patients with schizophrenia out of their haze
How to allow patients with schizophrenia to return to society requires the joint efforts of all sectors of society. Dr. Jiang Huiling said that occupational therapy and mental rehabilitation are also important methods to help patients with schizophrenia control their condition. At present, there are also hospitals or mental care institutions that provide patients with vocational training and sheltered factories, so that patients with mental disorders can try simple and less complex tasks and maintain a normal schedule.
In addition to vocational training, Dr. Jiang Huiling also encourages patients to pursue different life goals, such as maintaining interpersonal relationships and the ability to take care of themselves. When you have enough energy to spare, it is also recommended to do more exercise to enhance your physical strength or improve your work skills. Doctors say that allowing patients with schizophrenia to live a normal life is the primary goal of psychiatry. Although the patients’ basic abilities may not be as complete as before the onset of the disease, through every practice and encouragement from relatives and friends, their lives can be continued. progress.
